You guys only call them make up calls because you're looking through the lens of fan which we all know is short for fanatic. It's a jaded viewpoint.
@dviss, it's also from the refereeing perspective. For instance, I know (because I've asked) college refs will "let things go" to get games over quicker, and not call calls that normally would be game stoppages. If there's a spectrum of "yeah, that'd normally be a foul for moving screen, but whatever, they're down 30", doesn't it make sense that "man, that normally would just be a no-call, but since Bobby just jacked up that last traveling call (or whatever) I'll call this one" is also in the spectrum? Hell, Donaghy laid out exactly how he did it (which I know is a corner case, but shows how it can be done.
Yes, a fans perspective is jaded... but so is yours. As Brian laid out, there are lots of grey area. I think most refs want to do a good job, so if they know they completely jacked up a call - they look for an opportunity to make it up to the team that got screwed. Portland has been the beneficiary of that many times. I remember 5-6 different times this season where Portland (mostly Dame) has recieved a makeup call
It wasn't always just fans. In 1970s national telecasts, commentators routinely pronounced "Makeup call" 3 or 4 times per game. (First, the colorman had questioned the original call.) When Stern took over, that was one of the many freedoms he stifled.
Only that it's not. I've been on every side of the whistle. Player, coach, referee, spectator. IMO we should all do that to fully understand stuff. Saying you remember that it's a makeup call doesn't mean it was. It just means you thought it was.
The thing that drove me nuts in the NBA for years was the palming of the ball. Im glad ref's are calling it more now. One of the first rules of the game you teach youngsters is don't carry the ball. Iverson & Payton did it all the time...
No, but we HAVE seen a certain referee MAKE a call based on what the players on the court said, and if I remember right that call favored the Spurs of all teams....and it was of coarse, against the Blazers....
It's criminal the way we look at refs sometimes. You have a hard time seeing the correct result on tv, using slow motion. But they have to make split second decision under the lights with 18 thousand people watching. Watch a play 50 times and a I guarantee, you we wouldn't be able to interpret it correctly. Now there are of bad refs out there, but it's a thankless job any way you look at it.
